Loose Ends (Pokémon: Sword & Shield)
by JR31VICTOR
Summary: After the defeat and miscalculation of the Dynamx Pokemon plan by the two Royals, Victor, Galar's new Champion, decided to return to Spikemuth to have a final rematch with the new Gym Leader there. However, with strange anxiety coming over him as he makes his way through Route 9, Victor doesn't fully know if he's just there to battle or, just maybe, have another feeling...


Victor had always been one for the feeling of chance throughout his time to the Gym Challenge. It was, because of this, that he was able to recently acquire all Gym Badges throughout the various gyms in Galar. And, in the end, make it through the finals and, directly, enter the Battle Tower himself. There he faced off former Gym Leaders and defeated them one last time. Then, in the end, face the region's -former- undefeated Champion, Leon, and beat him with just his Corviknight left in his party. A severely tight victory, Victor himself pondered how he won.

Now, he stood like a frozen statue in the Circhester Bay on his Rotom bike in the nearly, but not nearly as bad as the whole of Route 9, snow. With the icy waves slowly reverting back and forth within the waves. Victor almost felt his Rotom's side tip to the side as he was stargazing the steep hill some ways in front of him that lead directly into Spikemuth. The place he needed to be in a few minutes.

He snapped out of it and, without adequately registering what he just did, placed his foot into the cold waters of the Circhester. "Dang it!" He shot out. Reeling his foot back into the peddle, he blew out a cold air of wind and shivered. "Come on, Victor," He told himself, "Up and over the hill."

Victor looked back at the hill he was too busy staring at previously, and, after making sure he was as far away from the water as possible, quickly hopped off his bike and watched Rotom return to its case. It was something he was grateful for. After all, he liked walking. Running was best but across the cold, potential junior Wailord bay of Circhester? He shook his head. Jogging up the hill: Victor forgot how the weather over by Spikemuth had thrown him off the last time he was there.

Last time, it seemed the sky had clouds thicker than a Wooloo's patch of fur with the occasional peek by the sun every once in a while. Of course, back then, he didn't really need to layer up. Nowadays, he wore a red hoodie, a black Three-Fourths Sleeve Button-Front Top, with a pair of black Demins pants and boots, with a Normal-Type Hat (Surprisingly enough, most his pokémon had at least one Normal-Type move in their slots). Something that was, overall, the best all-weather gear in case he was going swimming. Which didn't happen often? Even if Victor had a thin body, he still hadn't the faintest idea of how to swim anyways. And would probably have sunk just the same.

_Of course, back then, I didn't have to go all the way around Route 9 to get here in the first place now, wouldn't I?_ That was also true. From what Victor had heard, and seen, was that the first gate tunnel that led directly to Spikemuth was closed and _UNDER REPAIRS_, which struck him as odd off the bat. Since it was just a sign, the tunnel was completely closed off from the front and -now- the back. Again, he didn't have much time to wonder why the region would get to work on it now. He didn't have the time to investigate if his life depended on it.

Instead, Victor just quickly turned tail on his bike and rode like the wind and, begrudgingly, took the alternate route around it without a second thought. The last thing he wanted was to be late for his match.

"Knowing Marnie, she'll let me have it," He thought, ruefully. Nearly skidding when he turned the corner. Just in front of the opened shutter of Spikemuth. Before he entered, he checked his watch, "10:23 am" He blew a cold sigh of relief, _Nearly made it,_ -He wiped off some cold sweat from his Black Caesar haircut- _thank Arceus._ Thanking Rotom soon afterward for its effort, too.

It was strange. The nostalgic aura of returning to the place where Victor received his seventh gym badge. Although, back then, the town's shutter wasn't opened for him or most of the Gym Challengers, either. Team Yell made sure of it. For a while, at least.

Victor sighed again. This time more drawn out than before. "Had I known they were going to do more than training my pokémon, I w_ould have_ been harsher around the edges," But Victor knew that wasn't entirely true. Compared to other regions he'd heard and, sometimes, watched during tournaments, Team Yell was, at least from his own experience, good-natured. Just sometimes did things that were bordering and crossing what was deemed sportsmanship and downright illegal at times.

Of course, they weren't doing this for giggles, either. Like Victor, Team Yell had had their reasons for wanting, one of their own, winning and making it to Wyndon: That was Marnie, sure enough.

They were hoping their cheers, or, well, yells, would thwart off any competition in the Gym Challenge and to ensure Marnie won it all; despite her reluctance to tell them she wanted it fair and square.

That's….when that _feeling_ spouted when they faced off. Then again, when Victor was with his childhood friend Hop back in Wyndon Square and Rose Tower. She cheered him on during his battles with the chairman's assistant's workers. Before that, Marnie had mentioned to him, after their match during the semi-finals, she'd think about cheering for him in the finals. Part of him would have lied that he was hoping she would. He _did_ feel better when he noticed her in the stands. Now?

Now he was back here in her hometown. After helping Galar for the second-time over with the two Royal's Dynamax incident, _among other things,_ most of his rivals and trainers had gone their own ways; Hop included. He was a sucker for learning more about Pokémon and techniques to help them in need efficiently. Victor guessed that was the reason why he became Sonia's new assistant when they supported the legendary wolves restore peace across the region and returned their relics to them for goodwill. That might have also explained why Victor felt a sort of...emptiness? -Could he even call it that?- when everything was set and done.

The only thing now, besides his competitiveness, was having his match with Marnie. Today that _was_ the now, and he promised her he'd do it. Part of it, to himself really, was hoping that today's match would subside why he was acting strange.

He'd had an idea, but part of him didn't know if he should believe it or not.

_Here's hoping,_ With another sigh, Victor hurried inside. Wiping the thoughts from his mind, for now, at least.

When he entered the dark, rundown town -a little more lively and light up from actually letting people in and, later, not shutting them out- Victor was taken back at the sight once more. "Wow," He brought out loud, "I didn't know Piers had so much time to decorate after his retirement?"

"He doesn't," A voice called out in front of him. Victor must have been admiring the buildings on his left-hand side a little too much to notice.

He whirled back and saw who it was. "Oh! Ah-" He stuttered, "Marnie?" He said, a bit flushed, "Sorry there, I was too busy looking….at the pretty lights," He thought with the first thing he saw. Which actually _were_ the lights.

"Yeah, I can see that," She said with a wry nod. Then she shrugged, "Though I didn't think they'd distract you that much. I mean, you're usually too focused for that kind of stuff, anyway." Marnie pointed out, with another shrug. Something Victor wished she hadn't reminded him about.

She always had, since he met her back at the trainer's hotel, that she had a seemingly composed and calculating personality and surface whenever they interacted.

Rather than let his flushed composure get the better of him, he answered with a nod of his own and said, "Yes," He admitted. "I would have gone here quicker if it wasn't for the fact that the tunnel leading straight over here wasn't under construction," He went on to say he had to use the long way around, ending off with: "So I don't know if I'm currently under the weather or the lights here seem brighter than they are?" He joked. Not thinking much of it. _I better, not in front of her. _

"Oh, really?" Marnie sounded surprised. "I didn't uh...know. I'm sorry." She slightly looked away from Victor for him to remember she was still wearing the attire that he'd got used to seeing her in. It had been almost a week since he had -_a wild one at that._

She was about Victor's age with a slim build. With icy blue eyes and black hair tied in twintails, the latter with red ribbons. She wore a black choker, a pink minidress under a black Gothic jacket, and matching black and pink boots. And had on a red ear piercing and still carried her red backpack. While Victor again lugged his father's old one -something he _didn't_ change when he left Postwick.

That _feeling_ hadn't changed either. Especially now. "Marnie? Are you okay?"

She must have been thinking like he was doing when he was pedaling through ice and snow earlier. Because she shot her head back up to him with one of her bangs swaying up from the sudden motion, "Ah!" -She looked flustered- "Y-Yeah, Yeah, I'm good. Just- you know? gettin' the feel of bein' the new Dark-type gym leader is all." She hesitated like before. Not sounding like her usual self.

Whatever had stirred Marnie up, Victor didn't want to push it. He had already stirred up himself and didn't want to worry Marnie with his chest burns, anyways. _Just do what you're here for, Victor. And see if anything changes. _He coughed in his gloved hand to not worry her, "That's good, Marnie. I'm ah- actually surprised you went along with it in the end? Even after what Piers was hoping for from the get-go during the Gym Challenge. I see you're still going strong!"

Now Marnie turned _away_ from him. Quicker this time. "D-D-Don't get the wrong idea, Victor!" She told him, "I'm just keepin' my part of our little bargain back in Wyndon! So don't think I'm any less eager to kick your butt, now that I'm a Gym Leader here!"

Victor quirked an eyebrow up in surprise. But, after a moment, he found himself nodding. "I understand, Mar," He said, "I'll let you have it your way, then." He said indulgently. Victor himself didn't think he quite wanted to sound that way. His palms _were_ getting heated, but what can you do?

"You better," She reminded him and turned her head over her shoulder to face him. She did look a little under the weather despite showing no physical signs, either. Her piercing blue eyes didn't help dissect that when Victor locked onto them either. Her face went crimson when she noticed, too. Marnie turned back, "W-Well! Let's get goin' to the grounds, then," she waved him over next to her. "I don't want to keep you waitin'."

"Okay, lead the way," She did. It took Victor a second to realize she wanted him _right_ beside her -since she never asked him before.

After that, they made their way down the street, and passing several Team Yell members that wished her best of luck and Victor, well, the opposite, did Marnie add, "Just keep in mind, this is me usin' you for trainin', not the other way around, alright?"

"Yup," Victor nodded, understood. "I know." But he wasn't quite sure the Butterfrees in his stomach knew. Which didn't help him feel any less good, and hoped Marnie didn't notice. She had her face turned away from him, so he hoped so anyhow.

When they arrived at the pokémon battlegrounds, it was just as Victor had feared: Team Yell was yelling their heads off in the stands. With music almost blasting Victor's ears, he was beginning to wonder if his pokémon would hear him during the match.

"You ready, Vic?" Marnie sounded off. Taking her position directly across from him. Her face now it's usual self, "I don't intend to lose to you. You've been bein' me since the Gym Challenge, and you owe me at least that, you hear?" She exclaimed with a swift determination Victor hadn't seen her display since.._.no this was definitely a first._

He fixed his collar and nodded. "All right, Marnie," -He grabbed the quick ball attached to his belt containing Grimmsnarl- "Let's get started." Victor couldn't tell if it was the adrenaline of battle or, naturally, the fact that he _was_ facing Marnie. For the life of him, his instincts took over, and whatever _feeling_ he felt just a few ago: vanished. Was that just an external drive gone for good this time? Was what he felt only an illusion that wanted to get his hopes up to disorient him just before a fight, even if it was just against Marnie? He shrugged. _I don't know if my body was lying to me, or just waiting for my guard to go down so it could pounce back harder with both feet. _

Whatever it was, it was gone for the moment whether Victor wanted it to or not.

Shouts from the crowd stand (too crowded now that Victor got a good look at them) yelled of: "Come on, Marnie!" "You got this, Marnie" or "Who cares if he's the Champ? You're our Champ!" and "Come on, Sis! I got him down to half his party last time!" from Piers, Marnie's older brother, "Take out his rest, will you?"

From Victor's point of view, he could see Marnie glanced back at, not only Team Yell, her fans, but also Piers with an uncertain expression on her face. Even with the smell of fog behind him and the shouts and cheers from both the boomboxes and the members of Team Yell (surprisingly, overtaking the boomboxes themselves), Victor felt his breathing feel far less steady and, more so, his heart racing. He blinked and, with his other gloved hand -the one not already holding Grimmsnarl- grabbed onto his chest. And felt the two-syllable beat of his heart punching the cage of his ribs.

_Beat, Beat. Beat, Beat. Beat, Beat._ Victor exhaled and gripped tighter. _Okay, then._ He inhaled, _Now, I know this wasn't all smoke and mirrors-_

"Victor."

Victor shot out in attention and looked back at Marnie. To his shock, she was not only not looking back at the stands her brother and, daresay, but her family was also. But her body movement was steady, calm, composed, and…._she was smiling?_ Genuinely smiling at him.

"If I beat you," She began, "do me a favor, will you?"

"'A favor?'" Victor stammered out, still surprised that this was really only the second time he'd seen her smile at him like this. When she nodded eagerly, he then asked, "What kind of favor?"

She didn't say anything at first. She probably thought while she held her pokéball with crossed hands. When a few seconds passed, she said, "Beat me, and you'll never find out."

"Oh," Victor brought out, "Well, I will surely try not, too." He laughed nervously. Marnie must have been testing him. Because, rather than say anything afterward, her smile grew brighter to his response. Almost like she didn't expect any other answer. Not from him.

Then the match started. Both of them threw and released their pokémon into the fray. Victor's Grimmsnarl and Marnie's Liepard. Both eager for a fight.

What happened for the rest of the battle was anything but a blur to Victor, in all honesty. Every move threw. Every hit received from either of his or Marnie's parties. Was felt and heard through the shockwaves emitted on their playing field. For a second, Victor was honestly concerned about what would happen if Dynamaxing was somehow constructed here. The mere thought was enough to bulk him down under pressure as his pokémon did a number on Marnie's pokémon and vice-versa.

He gave credit when it was due. Marnie _had_ gotten stronger. A lot stronger to the point when she knocked out one of his most powerful Pokémon (Gengar) and poisoned two others. She didn't get the chance last time, his Mudsdale and Grimmsnarl took care of that problem.

Despite him facing many different types of trainers and powerful pokémon through the region, she did plan to give him a run of his money with how she carried herself in the beginning. But, how good did that matter when your whole team was Dark-Types?

When the smoke cleared, Victor felt a good deal of sweat drop down from under his cap while Marnie looked in a similar state with her wiping a patch from her forehead as well. Right timing, too.

His Grimmsnarl had just finished its Play Rough attack on its twin, and, after that attack went through, Marnie's Grimmsnarl was out for the count. It let out once last hoarse screech as she returned it to its dusk ball. Her final pokémon out of five. _FAINTED_

The cheers and shouts for Marnie in the stands soon died down when the battle subsided — being replaced with sounds of disappointed "ah…" or "boo!" towards Victor. Though, unlike the first time, he was too busy feeling the blood in his veins flowing to notice.

"I can't believe it," He said, as much to himself than out loud, "You truly are something. You know that, right, Marnie?"

Marnie, who was looking at the pokéball containing her defeated Grimmsnarl, slowly shook her head dismay. "No," she told him, "_You're_ just somethin' else. No doubt about it." That whole time she said that her smile never faded. And, like before, it got more colorful.

Over the sounds and, after the match was indeed over: applause by Team Yell for the effort, Marnie continued, "Even though I couldn't beat you -this time- I want to give you somethin' for beatin' me." Victor, even though his cheeks were feeling heated, quickly found himself nodding and walked over to the center of the battlegrounds to meet her. Marnie reached into her leather jacket's left pocket and drew out a card. A shiny one at that. "Here," She handed it to him, "I just had these reprinted this mornin'. I- umm, hope you like it."

Victor held the card close and almost felt like the card didn't help his condition one bit. It was an updated League photo of Marnie in what looked like the Wyndon Stadium in a new uniform consisting of a pink and black tank top with the Team Yell symbol on it, matching black and pink leggings with the number 960 and black and brown shoes. She was wearing a single glove with the same color pattern. In a pitcher stance, she'd used to throw her pokémon into the battle he'd seen her fire off in whenever they traded blows.

Victor blinked and felt his tongue jump into his throat. "I-I...er- don't know what to say, Marnie?"

"'Thanks' would be a start," She suggested.

Victor laughed apprehensively and rubbed the back of his head in the marching order. When he let his nerves calm him down, he did just that, "Thank you very much, Marnie. Really,"

She placed her hands behind her and looked away slightly, "Just don't lose it, or I'll be mad at you." She told him, "Okay?"

Now that _feeling_ came back again. This time, it hit harder than a Bulldoze from his Mudsdale. "Sure," He said, "I won't."

Marnie smiled at that but held a hand close to her heart while he drew out his album book. Midway through adding the photo to the section labeled: _Close-Calls_ (Leon and, recently, Hop were among them) did Victor smiled to himself. The lower half of the scrapbook covered his content grin. _It's time, you know?_ And he knew it was. Now that he knew for sure what he had to tell Marnie.

However, by the time he slapped the book closed with both his hands under it, did he see that Marnie was right in front of him. She didn't give him an inch to react in time. Instead, she threw her arms around him and quickly pressed her lips directly onto his. With an enormous amount of pressure, Victor was not prepared for.

Rather than fight the temptation, Victor pressed his own advance -despite never he, and, most likely, Marnie, not having experience in this department as trainers in their current lifetime.

Then, what felt like an eternity, they broke apart. Their faces crimson as the upper half of a regular pokéball. "Wow..." Victor broker out. "I...we-?...um, y-you-?"

"I-I'm sorry," Marnie brought out, trying her best not to let her heated face get the best of her. "When I asked you to come today, I didn't think you'd show. I wanted to make sure I did this right. So my Bro had the idea to "temporarily" close off the tunnel over here, in case someone, besides you, decided to poke their head through the snow."

Marnie held her hands together and took a deep breath, "I..had a thing for you since our second battle.." She told him, "I hope...uh..me doin', this was okay to show how I felt..right, Victor?"

Victor, who was still lost for words, calmly looked from the crowded stands and back at Marnie. Her giggle was enough for his feelings to show up again. All of them practically screaming at him to say something.

So he did, "Yeah," He said, almost sheepishly, "I..feel the same way." She smiled at that. With the stands erupting in roars of congratulation for Marnie and him. A job well done on their part, Piers was too busy being consulted in tears from how fast his sister was growing up by a team Yell member. "...And I thought _she_ was the cry-baby," Piers sobbed.

It was only then that _feeling_ finally went away. After that, Victor knew he made the right choice as he held her hands.

_**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this quick story I posted up after beating the game a few days ago. In case anyone asks, I do believe the stock name (or the name most commonly used) was Victor. The only thing I did was customize his appearance from the way I played it whether you imagined him like that or on your own, I don't know but fine by me! Please leave a review or favorite/follow the story; it will save Galar from Dynamax Destruction!... Okay, not really, but it will be much appreciated. Thank you all for reading, and have a merry good one!**_

_**-2nd Author's Note: I took the descriptions from the Pokémon Wiki under Sword & Shield, so no real credit for me there! If you see them, tell them I said, "Thank youuuuuu…..!" **_


End file.
